Directional guide for power hand drill

ABSTRACT

A power hand drill is provided with a device for assisting its operator in accurately positioning its bit horizontally for drilling vertical surfaces and vertically for drilling horizontal surfaces. The positioning-assisting device comprises a circular bubble type level mounted for selective securement to surfaces of the drill housing parallel and normal respectively to the drill axis.

United States Patent [191 Wolf [ DIRECTIONAL GUIDE FOR POWER HAND DRILL[76] Inventor: Lloyd J. Wolf, Rt. 1, Box 45,

Roanoke, Tex. 76262 [22] Filed: June 14, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 369,924

[52] US. Cl. 33/334, 33/37I, 33/384,

[5|] Int. Cl. G0lc 9/28, G0lc 9/36 [58] Field ol Search 33/334, 347,372, 370, 33/376, 37l, 373, 390, 384

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,877,561 3/l959 Morse33/368 [451 Feb. 11,1975

3,664,032 5/1972 Tompkins 33/334 Primary Examiner-Samuel B. RothbergAssistant Examiner-Steven L. Stephan Attorney, Agent, or Firm-F. TraversBurgess [57] ABSTRACT A power hand drill is-provided with a device forassisting its operator in accurately positioning its bit horizontallyfor drilling vertical surfaces-and vertically for drilling horizontalsurfaces. The positioning-assisting device comprises a circular bubbletype level mounted for selective securement to surfaces of the drillhousing parallel and normal respectively to the drill axis.

3 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures 1 DIRECTIONAL GUIDE FOR POWER HAND DRILLBACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The inventionrelates to power drills and consists particularly in means forselectively facilitating accurate guidance of the drill in horizontaland vertical directions.

2. The Prior Art US. Pat. No. 2,525,387 to Volk and US. Pat. No.2,877,561 to Morse both disclose inclinometers mounted on electricdrills to aid the user in aiming them at any desired angularity. Both ofthe patented devices utilize relatively complex inclinometer devices,require accurate visual maintenance of the inclinometer at the desiredangular setting throughout the drilling operation to assure the desiredangularity of the hole.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention provides a simple, inexpensive,compact and easily operated means for accurately guiding a power drillin horizontal or vertical directions.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of anelectric hand drill incorporating the invention.

FIG. 2 is a top view of the drill illustrated in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a rear end elevational view of the drill illustrated in FIGS.1 and 2.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the drill guidance assisting device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION An electric hand drill has ahousing 1 formed with a top surface 3 parallel to the drill axis and arear end surface 5, above handle 7, normal to the drill axis.

For assistance in guiding drill l, 7 horizontally, a shallow elongatedslot 9 with its longitudinal sides undercut as at all to form a dovetailcross section is formed in the rear portion of drill housing top surface3, with its rear end open.

A spirit level 13 of the circular bubble type is mounted on a plate 15having its longitudinal sides l7, l7 spaced and shaped for slidingengagement with undercut sides 11, ll of slot 9 so that level 13 may beremovably secured to the drill housing top surface 3 by sliding plate 15into slot 9. To facilitate insertion and removabl of plate 15, it isformed on one end with an upwardly extending tab 19 for engagement bythe drill users fingers.

With level 13 secured to the top of the .drill housing as shown in FIGS.1 and 2, the user of the drill may guide the drill horizontally, fordrilling into a vertical surface, simply by keeping bubble 13a centeredin the level 13 as he drills.

For drilling vertical holes, as in horizontal surfaces such as floors,the rear surface 5 of drill housing 1 is formed with a vertical slot 21,similar to slot 9, with an open upper end and undercut sides 23, 23spaced apart to slidably receive the sides of plate 15 when the latteris inserted from the upper end of the slot.

With level 13 secured to the rear end of the drill housing as shown inFIG. 3, the user of the drill may guide the drill vertically fordrilling into a horizontal surface, simply by keeping bubble 13acentered in level 13 as he drills.

When the level 13 is not in use, it may be removed from the drill andstored in the users tool box.

The details of the invention may be varied substantially withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention and the exclusive use of suchmodifications as come within the scope of the appended claims iscontemplated.

I claim:

1. The combination including a power hand drill having a housing withits top wall generally parallel to the drill axis and its near end wallgenerally normal to the drill axis, a spirit level of the circularbubble type, and means for selectively securing said level to said drillparallel to and normal to the drill axis said selective securing meanscomprising a plate mounting said spirit level to form a low-profileassembly and a pair of slots along each of the top and rear end walls ofsaid housing parallel to and normal to the drill axis respectively foralternately slidably receiving opposite edges of said plate.

2. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said slots are formedwith undercut sides matingly engageable with the side edges of saidplate.

3. The combination according to claim 2 wherein said plate is formedwith an upstanding finger-grip tab on one of its ends.

1. The combination including a power hand drill having a housing withits top wall generally parallel to the drill axis and its near end wallgenerally normal to the drill axis, a spirit level of the circularbubble type, and means for selectively securing said level to said drillparallel to and normal to the drill axis said selective securing meanscomprising a plate mounting said spirit level to form a low-profileassembly and a pair of slots along each of the top and rear end walls ofsaid housing parallel to and normal to the drill axis respectively foralternately slidably receiving opposite edges of said plate.
 2. Thecombination according to claim 1 wherein said slots are formed withundercut sides matingly engageable with the side edges of said plate. 3.The combination according to claim 2 wherein said plate is formed withan upstanding finger-grip tab on one of its ends.